A Crown of Beauty for Ashes
We have all experienced hearing God speak to us when times are good and blessings seem to follow us wherever we go. We feel close to Him and receive confirmation upon confirmation that we are on the right path. These are normally the times when things just seem to fall into place - opportunities appear, doors open and abundance flows into our lives in more ways than one. We are consumed by extreme gratitude to God for His generosity and ample provision in our lives. It’s easy to say “God is good” when you receive a bonus you didn’t expect, when a big client signs a deal with you or something utterly amazing happens.
However, we seem to completely change our perspective of God when times are not so favourable; when tribulation shows up without invitation or warning. This is where we fall into old habits of feeling without hope, buried under doubt, worry, fear, anxiety and every other negative emotional rollercoaster we allow ourselves to get on. We lose sight of our Saviour and all we see is “me”, “myself” and this monumental problem that needs fixing.
We feel alone and abandoned: When God Almighty says He would never leave us or forsake us.
Hebrews 13: 5 “… because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Joshua 1:5 “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We lose hope because we don’t SEE a way out: When we know that faith is believing in what is not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Romans 8:24 “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all.Who hopes for what they already have?”
2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
Why is it that even though we KNOW, as children of God, we are in no way free from pain or trials, we still ask God, “why?”. It’s as if we believe that when we serve Him, we won’t need to climb mountains and face giants? The Word of God is filled with examples of countless believers who had to go through battle, after battle to get closer to their promise. Jesus set the ultimate example for us on the cross, when facing physical, emotional and mental pain, inconceivable to the human mind, He said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:24 - Imagine if He had to turn the focus on himself and his pain, we would not have the everlasting gift of salvation!
If we look at David, whom God loved so much; his life was filled with frustration, fear, confusion and anxiety as he spent years in the waiting room after God told him that he would be the next king. He was relentlessly pursued by death and is known for his psalms, crying out to God in anguish; yet, he still concludes each psalm with praising God and giving Him the glory.
Jeremiah the Prophet, Job, Paul and many more faced endless hardship and battles to overcome, yet they decided to focus on God and what they knew about Him, instead of the pain they were facing in the physical.
Even though it’s never fun to admit whilst you in it, there are always so much goodness to be reaped from these dark moments in our lives. When we decide to embrace the pain, the unknown and the suffering, we build spiritual muscles, grow our ‘faith-cep’ and climb the stairmaster to spiritual maturity.
God never promised to take our problems away. However, He did promise to always be with us. Because we have His support and the comfort of the Holy Spirit guiding us through times when we don’t feel like we can lift our head anymore, we won’t only get through it but we will be able to help others overcome who is still walking through this deep, dark tunnel. When we give our hardships to Him, he turns our mourning into dancing and gives us beauty for our ashes. Isaiah 61:3
May my soul continue to sing, lead me Lord, guide me in your ways, in all I do and in all I face.
Blog By: Ivonn Derwig